Hybrid injection molding cell

• Subject Area: Materials Engineering
• Term: Funded in 2021
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 466727809

With the modules "thermoplastic plasticizing unit", "thermoset plasticizing unit" and "foam plasticizing unit", which can be combined in any way, and the possibility of integrating metal structural elements directly from the original mold, i.e. through the possibility of injection molding metallic glasses, the 2-component hybrid injection molding cell applied for offers unique freedom in hybrid process combination. This hybrid injection molding cell thus enables the combination of a wide variety of metallic, fiber-reinforced and textile, flat semi-finished products and molded or formed metal or plastic components to generate hybrid lightweight structures for a wide range of applications (e.g. high-temperature thermoplastic-metal hybrids for aerospace, shielded battery housings for electromobility, etc.), thus enabling the in-depth analysis of the process-structure-property relationships of these structures. One focus is on the hybridization of the aforementioned process routes to produce hybrid materials with comparatively large, representative surfaces. Plastics from the entire plastic pyramid (from standard thermoplastics such as PE and PP, to structural thermoplastics such as PA, to high-temperature thermoplastics such as PPS) are used as the polymeric material basis, implying a processing/mass temperature of up to 400 °C. The projected area of the samples/component plaques is to map up to 50,000 mm², which requires a clamping force of min. 4000 kN at a maximum cavity pressure of 850 bar. Other hybrid components to be used include metal sheets and so-called organic sheets. In order to be able to insert these manually in a simple manner and remove the components safely, the clamping unit will be designed vertically. To further increase the process reliability and reproducibility of the complex manufacturing process for the hybrid components, an automated handling system and feeding via a rail system is foreseen. A further requirement is the integration of a system for processing metallic glasses, which, as hybrid components, on the one hand have high mechanical properties and on the other hand - with regard to research fields of the future - allow novel material combinations. In order to increase the adhesion between the different matrix systems (thermoset and thermoplastic) with the steel/organo sheets, a preheating station is provided in the control system to ensure a smooth and coordinated overall process flow. In order to map and analyze the injection molding process parameters and the connected peripherals (e.g. handling system or preheating station), the system must be able to record measurement data, pass it on to other system components and process setting parameters. The database thus created should also be available for process and structure simulation.

• DFG Programme: Major Research Instrumentation
• Major Instrumentation: Hybride Spritzgießzelle
• Instrumentation Group: 2210 Kunststoffpressen und -spritzgußgeräte
• Applicant Institution: Universität Augsburg
• Leader: Professor Dr.-Ing. Kay A. Weidenmann